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Lawyer charged with sexual assault on boy, 15

By JASON SCHREIBERUnion Leader Correspondent

KINGSTON — A well-known Plaistow lawyer is facing sexual assault charges after he was accused of giving a 15-year-old boy two shots of Smirnoff sour apple vodka and then taking him out on a boat where the teen was allegedly raped.

Lawrence A. Buswell Jr., 52, of 11 Lions Way, Kingston, was arrested on a warrant by Kingston police last month in connection with the alleged assault that occurred on Kingston’s Country Pond in the summer of 2011.Buswell, who has a law office in Plaistow and has performed legal work for the town, faces two counts of felonious sexual assault, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of prohibited sales for allegedly providing the boy with alcohol.According to an affidavit by Kingston police Detective Christopher R. LaBrecque, police learned about the alleged assault on Aug. 10, 2012.The teen told police that he and his family have camped at the Country Shore campground in Kingston for the past 11 years and that Buswell is the owner’s son.

The criminal complaints allege that the rape occurred on or between July 1, 2011, and Aug. 5, 2011.

On the night of the assault, the boy told police, Buswell gave him the vodka and then took him out on his boat and for a swim.

The boy stated that “when he got out of the water wearing just his boxers the defendant wrapped him in a towel, sat him on the middle console of the boat, grabbed his crotch and squeezed,” the affidavit said.

The teen claims he then pushed Buswell’s hand away, at which point he allegedly began touching him inappropriately. The teen told police that Buswell then forced him to perform sex acts.

According to the affidavit, the boy used a map of the pond to identify a cove on the east side of an island where the alleged rape occurred.

In his affidavit, LaBrecque said he spoke with several other families who visit the campground and “confirmed that the defendant brought young males out onto the pond in his boat frequently. It was also confirmed that the defendant did spend a considerable amount of time with the group of young males.”

A warrant for Buswell’s arrest was issued May 2. He was arrested May 6 and released on $50,000 personal recognizance bail.

Assistant Rockingham County Attorney Jill Cook, who prosecutes cases for Kingston police, filed the criminal complaints and related paperwork with the 10th Circuit Court in Plaistow Friday after inquiries from the New Hampshire Union Leader seeking information on the arrest.

Buswell is scheduled to be arraigned in Plaistow on July 8 at 8 a.m.

In an unrelated incident, Buswell was also involved in a deadly boating accident on Country Pond in May 2012. According to authorities, Buswell was operating a 20-foot inboard powerboat when it collided with a 17-foot powerboat.

Eric Eskeland, 54, of Merrimack, was operating the other boat and died at the scene.

The Marine Patrol investigated the crash but the status of that case was not known Friday.